Classic Shell: Forum

I installed windows solitaire and classic shell broke the link to the icon on the metro desktop. My fault, but here's how I did it:

After installing classic shell, I saw the "Apps" program group right above the search box (neat!). I thought to myself, "I'll just drag this one app icon from the Apps program group to the desktop and that will be my desktop shortcut." Innocent enough... Wrong. The resulting desktop shortcut didn't work, and by dragging it out of the App group it's gone, and apparently corrupts the linkage between the actual app tile and the Metro desktop as well.

I can't reinstall the app. Windows store says I have it.
Couldn't uninstall the app. No uninstall button was available.
Clicking on the tile just opened the store not the app itself, so I unpinned it.

Any suggestions on how one might

Repair links to missing apps on the metro desktop?
Or allow it to be uninstalled and reinstalled from the store?
And how I can rebuild the link in the Apps program group?

Here is how you can fix it. Open this folder: %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Application Shortcuts. Locate the folder of the Modern app there and move the shortcut on the desktop back inside that folder (cut-paste). Then it will show up in "Apps" in the Start Menu.

To get it back on the Start screen, you may have to restart Explorer.exe or logoff/login back.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

You are a life saver. It worked. Thank you.

In addition to his instructions above, I had to re-pin the app to the Metro page.

I should mention that it was fortunate for me that I still had the original shortcut in the recycle bin. Windows had replaced the missing app file with a newer one that obviously didn't work. I can tell right now there is going to be a HUGE market for utilities that are able to correct this linked mess MS has left us with. A possible enhancement for classic shell would be to track link changes and have an undo/restore of the original links.

I don't know how to mark this as 'solved'. If one of the moderators could, please do.

Thanks.

I played with shortcuts of Apps, however I don't want to pin an app to the taskbar but see an running app automatically in the taskbar. See: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=431

I'm having the same problem, but unfortunately I also emptied my recycling bin with the shortcut in it. So now I don't have the shortcut to put back in the folder.

im trying to use recuva now but the first scan didnt find it, waiting on an advanced scan but I barely remember what the shortcut was called. hopefully it says netflix in it. I just am not confident this is going to find it so if you know of a better way please let me know.

Thanks,

-LouZ

Just install the netflix app again.

First thing I tried before I came on here, same problem as this guy says app is already installed.

Hmm, not sure how to recover it then. Maybe if you create another user, then install the app there, and then copy the shortcut to the first user. Don't know if that will work though, as the shortcut may contain some user-specific info.

Worth a shot, I also got a recovery program called recuva. The initial scan didn't find it but I am currently running an advanced scan that may take up to 2 hours. I'll update when that's done.

The recuva program found it and recovered it, all is well.

Good to hear it . For the next version I am planning to include a feature that will make it harder to move app shortcuts away from the start menu.